Getting started with the ripsaw - blade build up?

[DaltonPaull]

Thanks! I'm glad my friend who works on a farm let me know when they had the tree cut down. I don't expect to find apple that large very often.

 

[woodshop]

Sounds like you finally have it dialed in. My experience has been nothing new you didn't already find out... sharp blades and proper tension. It's usually that simple. And yes, some woods that gum up the gullets and teeth of the blade shorten its life quickly. I've gotten good results though in that case from simply soaking the blade in kerosene for a few days and then using a brass brush to clean them off and they are usually good go again. Glad you were able to join the CSM to cant/Ripsaw to lumber crowd.

 

[rdomikis]

Ripsaw manual

DP:
If you don't have one, you can download the Ripsaw manual from www.ripsaw.com.
The manual says to adjust bar oiler to a minimum. I have an 044 powerhead on mine, and I increased oil flow, which helped a lot. I adjusted mine until I could see oil coming out the discharge side with the sawdust.
Also, the manual states to apply liquid gasket around the oiler port before assembly.
My first few boards were wavy, especially if there were knots in the wood. You need to run WOT, and experiment with feed rate. For me, the feed rate was slower than I thought it should be. Try going slower than you think you need to, at a consistent rate. It varies with the type of wood, and the grain. It's similar to resawing on a bandsaw, there is an optimum feed rate which gives the smoothest cut.
I haven't used mine for a while, so I'll probably have to "relearn" the feedrate.
As mentioned, blade tension is also critical. If you're getting waves no matter how slowly you feed, the blade tension is too low.

any chance you still monitor this post? If so do you have a copy of the manual you can share?

 

[scottr]

any chance you still monitor this post? If so do you have a copy of the manual you can share?

Hey rdomikis , if you will go to the chainsaw forum and click on the stickeys then scroll down to the beg for manuals thread , make your request .Someone can probably send you some information .
.

 

[grampy666]

In the hopes that the OP still monitors this post, let me share some of my almost 30 years experience with the RIPSAW mill.
Make ALL your cuts with the guide beam to reduce wavy cuts. This limits you to 8/4 or 10/4 (to clear the guide beam clamps), but you can re-saw those to 4/4 or 5/4 using the cut surface. If you make repetitive cuts through a log using the previously cut surfaces, you will multiply errors as you go through the log and the last few boards will be unusable.